Bellows assembly



w. B. CLIFFORD Er'AL March 3., Y1936.v 72,032,561 5 l BELLows ASSEMBLY` Filed Jan. a, 1955v Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BELLOWS ASSEMBLY Walter B. Clifford, Boston, and John E. Woods,

Newtonvllle, Mass., assignors to Clifford Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application January 8, 1935, Serial No. 874

3 Claims. (Cl. 297-3) 'I'he present invention relates to a bellows as- 'Ihe upper or open end of the bellows unit is sembly having particular utility in connection provided with a radial ange which is received with the remote control of electric switches, within an outwardly extending circumferential valves and the like. shoulder 48 formed in the housing and is locked The purpose and object of the invention is to in place by a locking member in the Olln 0f a provide a simple and efficient form of such an Circular ring 0I' ring 50 Seating Within the Shoulassembly with the usual remote bulb or capillary, der and engaging the extended flange on the and enclosed )in a housing or casing by which it bellows to hold it in contact with the recess 48. may be conveniently attached to the wall of the The parts are hermetically sealed, as indicated in enclosure surrounding the switch or Valve in- Fig. 1, by aSOldeIed J'Oint`52. The COVer 50 may 1U tended to be operated thereby. be and preferably is provided with a circumfer- With this and other objects in view, the variential rib 54, Which iS finished at itS upper Sulous features of the invention consist in certain face t0 liel in the planeOf the attaching ilange novel features of construction, combinations and this rib bearing against the Supporting Surface arrangements of parts hereinafter described and and relieving the SOldeied JOint from Strains due 15 claimed, the advantagesof which will be obvious t0 pressure Within the unit- The Operating Din to those skilled in the art from the following 46 plays through an enlarged Opening 56 formed description. in the plate, which does not, however, normally In the accompanying drawing illustrating the engage With the Din 0i in any Way COIlStI'iCt its preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 represents free mOVement- The Din, aS Will be evident t0 20 a section in elevation of the remote control unit thOSe Skilled in the art, iS adapted to Contact diadapted for attachment to a switch housing; reetly With the movable portion 0f a Switch 01 Fig. 2 is a detail illustrating a section of the bel- Valve. FOI example, in utilizing this mechanism lows unit before assembly within the unit; Fig. 3 OI the Oper-ation 0f a refrigeratOl Switch, the

illustrates a modified method of sealing the cacupped hOuSing iS attached directly t0 the SWitCh 25 pillary to the housing enclosing the bellows unit; housing, and the movable Pin Caused t0 engage and Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the method of with one element of a toggle switch or the like to mechanically distorting the housing to lock the cause its operation in accordance with temperabellows unit and supporting plate therein. ture ChangeS- Referring particularly to the illustrated em- The inteliOl Of the unit, that iS t0 Say, the Cap- 30 bodiment of the invention, the unit comprises a illary, bulb and .space between the hOuSing and drawn cupped housing I6, having a peripheral bellows communicating with the capillary, may attaching flange I8 provided with openings I9 be lled with suitable thermostatic uid such for attachment to a support enclosing a switch, as sulphur dioxide after the removal of air therevalve or the like. This housing, as indicated in from. Subsequently the entire unit is Sealed, and

Fig. 1, is necked down at 20 to receive the end of When the bulb iS Placed in the COInpaltInent t0 be a length o f capillary 22 which may be sealed refrigerated, the bellows is caused to expand and therein by a silver solder band 24. The capilcontract in accordance With temperature Changes. lary is of sufcient length to extend from the Obviously, the bulb may be dispensed with if the control member to the chamber under control,y capillary has SufliCient Capacity f01` fluid, and the 40 and may, if so desired, be provided at its outer remote end of the capillary itself pinched off after end with an enlarged bulb 26 swedged to a refilling of the capillary and the interior of they duced diameter at 28 to receive the end of the housing with thermostatic fluid. capillary which is soldered at 30, and reduced by UpOn reference t0 Fig. 2, it Will be ObSelVeCl that swedging at the opposite end to provide an exthe bellows unit is provided with a plurality of 45 tending neck portion 32 which is sealed off after folds of uniform size and with an end fold 60 of filling of the unit by squeezing in the general larger diameter. The diameter of the end fold form indicated at 34. is sufficient to provide a radial flange of the nec- 'Ihe cupped housing I6 is provided with a belessary size after formation of the bellows and cutlows 40 formed with an integrally closed end 42 ting of the end fold approximately on the line B2, 50 and having mounted thereon internally a' head leaving an extending radial flange which may be 44 which carries an operating pin 4B. This head trued up and slightly curved at the outer edge if may be secured to the head 42 of the bellows by so desired. Subsequent to the mounting and aswelding or sol-dering, and is mounted thereon sembly of the inner head and valve pin, the belwithout piercing the closed end of the bellows, lows unit together with the ring 50 is assembled 55 2. :,osases within the housing and soldered in place. The sirable that it be tinned or plated in its entirety,

resultant unit is simple. compact and affords an ideal assembly for the operation of mechanism of this character.

As an alternative to the fastening of the capillary in the manner shown, the housing may be provided with a iitting 64 recessed to go through an opening in the housing spun over at 66, the end of the capillary 22 being inserted in the bore of the recess and sealed by a solder thimble at 68, all as indicated in Fig. 3.

In order to secure the ribbed disk or ring 5D within the housing and mechanically lock the bellows unit at the rim it may be desirable to indent the housing at a plurality of points, as indicated in Fig. 4. This indenting can be performed with a tool 'I0 which projects from the wall of the housing inwardly above the plate to lock the plate and the arm of the bellows unit in the circumferential recess 48.

On referring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be observed that the head 44 which carries the operating pin 46 is provided with a sealing disk ring 80 of non-metallic material. This disk is intended to-contact with the under face of the member 5U and seal the space within the bellows by virtue of such contact. 'I'he disk may be preferably made of treated paper or perhaps rubber or similar materials which are capable of withstanding temperatures to which the unit is subjected, and which are compressible to seal the opening 56 against the entrance of liquids either employed in washing, tinning or soldering. After complete assembly the unit is filled with thermostatic fluid through the reduced end 32 of the bulb 26, as will be evident to those skilled in the art. This entrance with the space encompassed by the bulb and capillary and the closed space between the housing i6 and the exterior of the bellows is completely filled with thermostatic iiuid. After such filling the reduced end of the bulb is pinched oi at 34 and preferably closed beyond the pinch-01T by a solder button.

With the ordinary thermostatic fluids which are employed, expansion of the vapor at room temperatures causes the bellows folds to be coinpressed until the disk 60 contacts with the opposing face of the disk 56. 'I'his contact oi the two members serves to limit the movement of the bellows due to expansion of the iluid, and serves as an eifective stop for this purpose. Movement in the opposite direction may be confined by contact of the projecting yclosed end of the bellows with the bottom of the cupped housing I6. It will thus be evident that the disk 56 or its equivalent in combination with the head 44 provides an eii'ective and simple form of stop for limiting outward movements of the bellows due to expansion. It will be understood from the foregoing and from examination of the drawing that the general circular and disk-like cover 50, due to its conformation, supports the radial attaching ange of the bellows against pressure at two spaced points and that this cover member has in eiect a circular portion seating above and reinforcing the flange and a transversely extending portion which serves as a stop to limit outward movement of the free end of the bellows.

After assembly and filling of the unit it is deand this is commonly accomplished by dipping the entire unit in a plating bath. Itis obviously preferable that iluid from the plating bath be not allowed to enter the space within the bellows, which could otherwise occur through the opening 56. With the present construction expansion of the thermostatic fluid causes a tight sealing between the compressible disk 80 and the member 50 to seal entrance to the space within* the bellows so that the entire unit may be safely immersed in a plating bath at room temperatures or above without liability of the fluid from thebath seeping into the interior. Furthermore, the

`disk is of such a character that it will withstand' whatever temperatures the unit may be subjected to in plating, soldering or other operations.

What is claimed is:

1. A unit of the class described comprising a cup-like housing, a bellows having a movable end wall sealed at its open end adjacent the open end of the housing to encompass an expansive and contractible annular space between the housing and bellows, a disk-like cover closing the open end of the housing and bellows and provided with an opening therethrough for the passage of an operating member, the cover limiting outward movement of the end wall under the iniiuence of pressure in the annular space, and means for sealing the space encompassed by the bellows and cover when the end wall has reached the outer limit of its movement determined by the cover.

2. A unit of the class described comprising a cup-like housing, bellows received within the housing and connected therewith at the open end, thermostatic fluid in the annular space between the housing and bellows serving to expansibly move the free end of the bellows outwardly, an operating member mounted upon the movable free end of the bellows, a circular cover member closing the open end of the housing and having an opening through which the operating member moves, and a compressible sealing ring engaging the cover about the opening to seal the interior of the bellows upon outward movement of the operating member to a limit determined by the cover.

3. A unit of the class described comprising a cup-like housing, a bellows unit received within the housing and connected therewith at the open end of the housing to seal the annular space between the exterior of the bellows and housing and to permit movement of the opposite free end of the bellows upon changes in pressure within the annular space, an operating member mounted upon the movable free end oi the bellows, a disklike cover closing the open end oi' the housing beyond the bellows and having an opening through which the operating member moves, and means for limiting the outward movement of the free end of the bellows and operating member under the influence of pressure within the annular space and for sealing the opening in the WALTER B. CLIFFORD. JOHN E. WOODS. 

